Fox News anchor on Trump's NFL war: 'This is the red meat of all red meat' for his base

Fox News/screenshotFox News anchor Shepard Smith commented on President Donald Trump digging himself further into a crusade against acts of protest in the NFL on Monday.
Smith said Trump is trying to reshape the demonstration some athletes have participated in — kneeling during the national anthem in protest of police brutality and racism — as disrespect for the US, its troops, and its flag.
"It's very clear that for his base, this is the red meat of all red meat, because they're able to reframe this," Smith said. "They're able to say, 'oh, they're attacking the national anthem. They're attacking the troops, they're attacking the flag' — none of which they're doing. They're not doing any of that," he said.
"They're upset about racial injustice in the country, and they're upset about the things the president has said, and yet he's able to turn it around for his base."
Smith continued: "Isn't this all a play to his base and could it all possibly be so that they don't notice there is no healthcare and North Korea is the biggest mess since the Cold War?"
Watch Shepard's comments below:

Trump turned his attention toward the kneeling demonstration on Friday while delivering remarks during a political rally in support of Sen. Luther Strange of Alabama, who faces a primary runoff vote on Tuesday. Trump carried on about the protests through the weekend and all day Monday.NOW WATCH: Trump touts the 1986 US tax reform law as 'something special' — here's footage of him calling it a 'disaster' in 1991

AP Photo/Evan VucciPresident Donald Trump continued his Saturday Twitter tirade into the evening, going after National Football League commissioner Roger Goodell over players' national anthem protests.

AP Photo/Rick BowmerBillionaire businessman and NBA owner Mark Cuban responded to President Donald Trump both calling for NFL owners to "fire" players who protest during the national anthem and uninviting Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry from visiting the White House in an email exchange with Business Insider on Sunday.

Evan Vucci/APWhite House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders argued on Monday that the media was "missing the entire purpose of the message" when it came to President Donald Trump's criticism of NFL players who kneel during the national anthem.

White House chief of staff John Kelly was displeased with President Donald Trump's antagonizing NFL players who kneel in protest of police violence and racism during the national anthem, two administration officials said in a CNN report on Monday.
Kelly was cognizant of racial issues and was concerned with the matter, one official said.

NFL franchise owners provoked quite a reaction on Sunday and Monday when they walked onto the field and locked arms with players – and, in some cases, kneeled (just not during the National Anthem) – in a demonstration of defiance to President Donald Trump, who late Friday night picked a fight with both the NBA and NFL by first disinviting the Golden State Warriors to the White House, then labeled any NFL player who kneels during the anthem a “son of a bitch” for “disrespecting our heritage.”

TwitterPresident Donald Trump continued a multiday crusade against athletes who kneel during the US national anthem by tweeting a video of Jamaican Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt.
"Even Usain Bolt from Jamaica, one of the greatest runners and athletes of all time, showed RESPECT for our National Anthem," Trump wrote Tuesday night.